One of my favorite books of 2015 is actually not available until February 2016. Don't let that stop you — even a pre-order of this one is a wonderful gift.

The book is called "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World," and it's written by Adam Grant, a management professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

I've interviewed Grant several times for this column and hold him and his intellect in high regard. In this new book he explores what it takes to be an original in the workplace and in life.

He writes: "Originality is not a fixed trait. It is a free choice. Lincoln wasn't born with an original personality. Taking on controversy wasn't programmed into his DNA; it was an act of conscious will."

By doing what so few workplace authors do — showing and not telling — Grant uses anecdotes and research to demonstrate the value of taking chances and overcoming your fear of presenting new thoughts and ideas.

"The last time you had an original idea, what did you do with it? Although America is a land of individuality and unique self-expression, in search of excellence and in fear of failure, most of us opt to fit in rather than stand out."

Grant relates his thoughts not only to workers but to parents as well, encouraging us all — with ideas grounded in science and experience — to "embrace the uphill battle, striving to make the world what it could be."

I've written several times this year about mindfulness and the value of taking a moment — or two, or three — during the workday to reflect on what you're doing, why you're doing it and how you can do it better.

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To that end, there's a book that I'm almost surprised I'm recommending. It's called "Take Your Soul to Work: 365 Meditations on Every Day Leadership" by Erica Brown. The surprise comes from the fact that the book — on its surface — sounds a bit schmaltzy, and I'm known for not being a fan of workplace schmaltz. (Excluding, of course, the workplace schmaltz I generate, all of which is great.)

But Brown's book does a wonderful thing: It provides short but very insightful pieces that can be read each day, words that almost require us to think more deeply about the things we do. These aren't Brown's meditations, they're the thoughts of artists, authors, religious leaders and CEOs and they touch on topics ranging from silence to tension, from anonymity to public speaking.

At the end of each entry there is an instruction to guide your thinking. For example, one meditation called "On Criticism" ends like this: "People want your approval. They want to know what you think of them. Your criticism defeats those you want to change and paralyzes them, preventing them from improving. Minimize your criticism. Inspire with your feedback."

It then suggests the following task for the day: "Change a criticism you have of someone into feedback."

This book is a great way to give yourself a reason each day to pause — and think.

"The Wisest One in the Room: How You Can Benefit from Social Psychology's Most Powerful Insights"

Thomas Gilovichand Lee Ross

"The Wisest One in the Room: How You Can Benefit from Social Psychology's Most Powerful Insights" by Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross (Simon & Schuster)

There are many books that offer instruction on how to manage, how to lead or how to win people over. But for my money, the best way to deal with other human beings is to understand how they think, and why they think certain ways.

Psychology professors Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross offer a master's course in understanding your colleagues in their book, "The Wisest One in the Room: How You Can Benefit from Social Psychology's Most Powerful Insights."

While it can be dense at times, the book does an excellent job of presenting research and demonstrating that research's meaning and usefulness via anecdotes and historical tales. Gilovich and Ross hammer home the idea that "to better understand another person it is important to appreciate not only how that person sees the world, but the actual situational influences and constraints confronting that person."

You can follow all the advice you want on how to win friends and influence people. But if you don't get inside their heads a bit, you're likely to be flying blind.

Fred Cook is an interesting person, and interesting people tend to write good books. Cook is now the CEO of the Chicago-based public relations agency Golin, but he started out working as a cabin boy on a Norwegian tanker, a doorman, a substitute teacher and a tour guide.

When a chapter begins with the sentence, "I've met a lot of famous people," the inclination to roll your eyes is strong. But if you stick with Cook, he takes you through his experience managing a music company and his recognition that you can't get anywhere without a strong network of friends, family, teachers and co-workers.

Cook, who grew up in a small town in Indiana, preaches humility: "Keep old friends and everyday people in your entourage. No matter how successful you become, they're always happy to remind you that you're just a dumb Hoosier."

It's a fun book. And it's instructional. In its own delightfully weird way.